Rope container

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a rope container having upper and lower frustoconical-shaped sections releasably coupled at their diverging ends. Mating flanges are provided on the sections with a resilient seal fixed to one flange. The bottom section has a centrally disposed upwardly extending cylindrical-shaped center wall. A tray has an annular groove in the bottom thereof receiving the upper end of the center wall. The tray has cylindrical side walls and a centrally disposed center wall extending upwardly into contact with the upper wall of the upper section to hold the tray in position when the sections are coupled together.

United States Patent Nowlain Dec. 10, 1974 ROPE CONTAINER [76] Inventor: F. Caroline Nowlain, 4314 Thunder Rd., Dallas, Tex. 75234 [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 370,008

[52] US. Cl. 206/403 [51] Int. Cl B6511 85/04, B65h 75/02 [58] Field of Search 206/315, 388, 393, 394,

3,628,843 12/1971 Wynne et a1 206/315 X Primary Examiner-Donald Watkins Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichards, Harris & Medlock [5 7] ABSTRACT Disclosed is a rope container having upper and lower frustoconical-shaped sections releasably coupled at their diverging ends. Mating flanges are provided on the sections with a resilient seal fixed to one flange. The bottom, section has a centrally disposed upwardly extending cylindrical-shaped center wall. A tray has an annular groove in the bottom thereof receiving the upper end of the center wall. The tray has cylindrical side walls and a centrally disposed center wall extending upwardly into contact with the upper wall of the upper section to hold the tray in position when the sections are coupled together.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ROPE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to improvements in containers for holding a plurality of ropes, lariats, and the like. In another aspect, this invention relates to a new and improved rope container with a removable tray therein.

In rodeo events such as calf roping, ropes are important equipment to the participants. Prizes are offered to the contestant that can rope and tie a calf in the shortest amount of time. The calf is given a head start and the horse mounted contestant, using a length of rope or lariat, ropes the calf, leaps off his horse andthrows the calf to the ground. During this activity, the rider holds a 6-foot length of VQIIICI'I rope called a piggin string in his mouth and once the calf is down, the rider jerks the piggin string out of his mouth and ties any three of the calfs legs together. The rider thenraises his hands in the air to signal to the timer that he is finished. The whole event, in many cases, takes from to 12 seconds.

In another event, steer roping, a rope also plays a vital role. In this event, which is similar to calf roping, a steer is given a head start. A horse mounted contestant enters the arena and drops a loop over the steers horns, the contestant then gallops alongside the charging animal and positions the rope along one side and around the rear of the animal. The slack in the rope is removed and the horse is then spurred ahead along the other side to flip the steer to the ground. The horse facing the steer keeps the rope taut by backingup. The contestant leaps off his horse and ties any three of the animals legs together.

In a third type of event, two separate riders with ropes are used. The first rider or header ropes the steer by the horns while another rider, the heeler, ropes the rear legs. After the steer is roped, each rider wraps his rope around the saddle horn in a process called dallying" to pull the steer to a stop.

It will be understood that in the above events, ropes are important equipment. Since a rodeo contestant must be able to quickly and accurately rope and handle cattle, it is essential that his ropes be maintained in proper condition. Means are needed to protect ropes from moisture, soiling, snags and other damage. In addition, the means must be compact, lightweight and durable enough to stand up to the rough traveling schedule of the rodeo circuit.

Therefore, according to the invention, an improved rope handling and storage container is provided in which ropes can be stored and protected from moisture, weather and damage during use.

According to another aspect of the invention, a multi-compartment rope container is provided which is strong and durable, yet simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container having a bottom pan section with a circular bottom wall integral with upstanding side walls. A radial annular flange is provided at the mouth of the pan section. At upstanding cylinder integral with the,bottom wall extends to a level approximating the height of the flange. A top section has a circular top wall integral with a downwardly extending side wall with an annular flange at the bottom of the side wall sized to mate with the flange on the pan section. Fasteners are provided for coupling the sections together. A tray having a circular bottom wall integral with an upstanding central top cylinder and a short cylindrical side wall is of a diameter to fit, with clearance, inside the top section when supported on the first cylinder. The tray has a bottom structure for mating with the top of the bottom cylinder releasably to support the tray while assuring contact between the top cylinder and the top wall to hold the tray in position and support central stacking forces.

The present invention will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of the rope container of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front exploded perspective view of the rope container illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the Drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is illustrated a rope container 10. Container 10 is of the type which can be used to store and transport a plurality of ropes 11 and other equipment. Container I0 defines a sealed volume and is provided with suitcase-type carrying handles 12 on the top and bottom sections 14 and 16. In addition, a plurality of latches 18 are circumferentially spaced around container 10 to releasably attach top and bottom sections 14 and 16 together so that they can be separated to allow access to the interior of the container and removal of a tray 20 therefrom.

The bottom pan section 16 has a circular bottom wall 22 integral with a frustoconical-shaped side wall 24. The side wall 24 joins the bottom wall 22 at the converging end of the frustoconical-shaped section. A first cylinder 26, in the form of an inverted cup, is attached coaxially to the bottom wall 22 and extends upwardly therefrom terminating on about the same level as the lip of side wall 24. Cylinder 26 defines a center compartment 27 for use in storing spurs, piggin strings and the like. An annular radially extending flange 28 is provided on the lip of section 16. A resilient annular seal 30 is attached to the upper surface of flange 28 to provide sealing between top and bottom sections 14 and 15, respectively.

Top section 14 has a circular top wall 32 with a shallow coaxial circular depressed portion 34 formed therein. A frustoconical-shaped side wall 36 joins the top wall 32 adjacent the converging edge of the frustoconical-shaped section. A radial annular flange 38 is formed at the bottom of side wall 36. Flange 38 is of a size corresponding to flange 28 so that as top section 14 and bottom section 16 are engaged as illustrated in FIG. I, resilient seal 30 will be compressed between the flanges by the force of latches l8.

Tray 20 has a circular bottom wall 40 with a coaxial upstanding cylinder 42 integral therewith. In addition, a coaxial cylinder 44 is integral with bottom wall 40. Cylinder 44 defines a center compartment 45 similar to compartment 27. An annular shoulder 46 is formed at the lower end of cylinder 40 for receiving in mating engagement the upper end of the cylinder 26 to hold tray 20 in position within container 10. An inturned annular flange 48 is formed on the upper end of the center wall 44 at a height to assure contact with the depressed portion 34 of the top wall 32 to rigidly hold the tray 20 in position.

Thus it can be seen that a removable tray 20 is provided which is held in position within the interior of the container on top of cylinder 26 in the bottom section 16 by the depressed portion 34 of the top wall 32. This structure provides central support for top wall section 34 so that damage due to top loading will be avoided since cylinders 26 and 46 form a continuous load-carrying column. By using this invention, more than one tray could be provided with appropriate dimensions to further compartmentalize the interior of the container 10.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the rope container 10 is molded from a suitable thermoplastic material such as ABS. It is envisioned, of course, that other durable and moldable materials could be used.

It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and that numerous alterations can be utilized to practice the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container for carrying a plurality of lengths of rope which comprises:

a bottom pan section having a bottom wall, first upstanding side walls and a center wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

a top section having a top wall and downwardly extending second side walls of a size to mate with said first walls;

fastener means for removably coupling said pan and top sections to form a sealed volume; and

a tray mounted in said sealed volume, said tray having a bottom 'wall, a side wall of a size to fit with clearance inside said top section, seating structure on said tray for mating with the top of said center wall releasably supporting said tray in position above said bottom wall, and a center wall on said tray of a length to contact said top wall to hold said tray in position and transfer stacking forces from said top wall through said center walls to said bottom wall.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said top and pan sections each have radially extending flanges thereon for mating contact when said top and pan sections are placed in close proximity.

3. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein a resilient seal is provided on one of said annular flanges for sealing between said flanges when said flanges are in contact.

4. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein a handle means is provided on the exterior of said container for transporting said container.

5. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said seating structure on said tray is a shallow annular depression which receives the upper end of said pan center wall.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second cylinder has open top and bottom ends to provide a central storage chamber inside of said second cylinder.

7. In a container for carrying a plurality of separate lengths of rope having a bottom pan section with a bottom wall upstanding first side walls and a center wall extending upward from said bottom wall; and having a top section having a top wall and a downwardly extending second side wall of a size to mate with said first wall; and having fastener means for removably attaching said pan and top sections together to form a sealed volume;

the improvement which comprises a tray mounted in said sealed volume, said tray comprising a bottom wall and side wall of a size to fit with clearance inside said top section, seating structure on said tray for mating with the top of said center wall releasably supporting said tray in position above said bottom wall, and a center wall on said tray of a length to contact said top wall to hold said tray in position and transfer stacking forces from said top wall through said center walls to said bottom wall.

8. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein a handle means is provided on the exterior of said container for transporting said container.

9. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said seating structure on said tray for mating with said cen- .ter wall of said pan is an annular depression which receives the upper end of said center wall of said pan.

10. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said top and pan sections each have radially extending flanges thereon for mating contact when said top and pan sections form said sealed volume.

11. A container as defined in claim 10 wherein a resilient seal is provided on one of said annular flange for sealing between said flanges.

. UNITED STATES PATENT ICE V I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION patent o. 3,853,223 7 r Deoeinber 10,-1974 Inventofls) F Caroline Nowlain It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 62', after "section." change" "At" to -An-L 1 Signed and sealed this 29t h da'y of April-1975 (SEAL) H 'Attestz' x V MARSHALLYDANN C MASON I Commissioner-of Patents Attestmg Officer andTrademarks FORM Po ao50( 1o-69) r 3 v USCOMM-DC Qua-16L: 

1. A container for carrying a plurality of lengths of rope which comprises: a bottom pan section having a bottom wall, first upstanding side walls and a center wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall; a top section having a top wall and downwardly extending second side walls of a size to mate with said first walls; fastener means for removably coupling said pan and top sections to form a sealed volume; and a tray mounted in said sealed volume, said tray having a bottom wall, a side wall of a size to fit with clearance inside said top section, seating structure on said tray for mating with the top of said center wall releasably supporting said tray in position above said bottom wall, and a center wall on said tray of a length to contact said top wall to hold said tray in position and transfer stacking forces from said top wall through said center walls to said bottom wall.
 2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said top and pan sections each have radially extending flanges thereon for mating contact when said top and pan sections are placed in close proximity.
 3. A container as defined in claim 2 wherein a resilient seal is provided on one of said annular flanges for sealing between said flanges when said flanges are in contact.
 4. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein a handle means is provided on the exterior of said container for transporting said container.
 5. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said seating structure on said tray is a shallow annular depression which receives the upper end of said pan center wall.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second cylinder has open top and bottom ends to provide a central storage chamber inside of said second cylinder.
 7. In a container for carrying a plurality of separate lengths of rope having a bottom pan section with a bottom wall upstanding first side walls and a center wall extending upward from said bottom wall; and having a top section having a top wall and a downwardly extending second side wall of a size to mate with said first wall; and having fastener means for removably attaching said pan and top sections together to form a sealed volume; the improvement which comprises a tray mounted in said sealed volume, said tray comprising a bottom wall and side wall of a size to fit with clearance inside said top section, seating structure on said tray for mating with the top of said center wall releasably supporting said tray in position above said bottom wall, and a center wall on said tRay of a length to contact said top wall to hold said tray in position and transfer stacking forces from said top wall through said center walls to said bottom wall.
 8. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein a handle means is provided on the exterior of said container for transporting said container.
 9. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said seating structure on said tray for mating with said center wall of said pan is an annular depression which receives the upper end of said center wall of said pan.
 10. A container as defined in claim 7 wherein said top and pan sections each have radially extending flanges thereon for mating contact when said top and pan sections form said sealed volume.
 11. A container as defined in claim 10 wherein a resilient seal is provided on one of said annular flanges for sealing between said flanges. 